A night to remember

Society of Illustrator's prize reception dinner on June 22nd, 2017.
The walls are covered with art from Stephen Korshak's collection of illustration art,
including two works by Gustaf Tenggren. (All photos in this blog post except for the Tenggren paintings by Jason Goodfriend, courtesy of the Society of Illustrators.)

For once, the event reception was held in the exhibition area, which turned out to provide a spectacular environment for the venue, hosting parts of Stephen Korshak's amazing collection of illustration art as it was. Very appropriately, two works by Gustaf Tenggren were included in the show, both of which from his early artist years.

Gustaf Tenggren: Trolls walking downhill, 1915.

Gustaf Tenggren: Witch. From Bland Tomtar och Troll, 1922.

Receiving the award on behalf of Gustaf Tenggren was Barbara Wells Fitzgerald, daughter of Gustaf's younger brother, Gunnar. Her son Christopher and Nhu Tran accompanied her at the reception dinner.

Gustaf Tenggren's niece Barbra Wells Fitzgerald,
her son Cristopher Wells and Nhu Tran on the Hall of Fame red carpet.

Barbra Wells Fitzgerald sharing her memories of
her uncle Gustaf Tenggren to the reception audience.

Barbra Wells Fitzgerald and Cristopher Wells holding the award.

Gustaf Tenggren sure was in good company: the other illustrators awarded in 2017 were:

Mort Drucker

Bart Forbes

Burne Hogarth

Anita Kunz

George Petty

Ralph Steadman

From the impressive list of awardees, three were present at the reception. Ralph Steadman, who had provided the event logo, could unfortunately not make it but was participating through a video.

Ralph Steadman, participating through a video link, holding the symbols of the event.

Anita Kunz

Bart Forbes

Anita Kunz and Bart Forbes both held acceptance speeches to the audience from the stand, while the reception's grand old man, Mort Drucker, preferred to thank for the award more briefly. After all, this gentleman, born in 1929, is in his right to go easy after a 60-year career as a cartoonist.

Legendary MAD illustrator and Hall of Fame awardee Mort Drucker
enjoying the company at the Society of Illustrator's prize ceremony.

All in all, this induction ceremony consolidated Gustaf Tenggren's repute as one of the important early New York illustrators during the years when the Society of Illustrator were still in its bud. I'm so happy that his niece Barbara was able to attend the venue, accepting the prize on her uncle Gustaf's behalf. It would have made him proud, entitling himself an artist as he always was throughout his career.